“You need to stop getting in your own way.”
How many times have you heard that before? More to the point, how many times have you heard that before and truly understood what it means?
It’s a simple, well-used slice of advice yet its true meaning can feel quite alien. It makes sense, sure, but to embrace its sentiment, you must first dig deeper. Let’s use a real-life, common example.
Every day we make choices and have routines and habits that make up our daily lives.
Some habits are clearly better than others.
So, what habits are going to make the biggest difference in your life?
And what can you do that will really impact your overall wellness in the best way?
Have you ever known someone who had an admirable sense of self-control?
No matter what the situation, they always seemed to know what to say or what action to take.
Not having self-control can feel just the opposite. Over indulgence or saying something without thinking inevitably can cause unwanted circumstances. But how do you get to that point of making choices based on intentional words and actions?
What qualities could help you to become an expert at self-control?
What came first, motivation or momentum? Do you have to be motivated to gain momentum, or does momentum inspire motivation?
Motivation is not an all-encompassing, magical elixir you drink to get you started. It’s organic. To feel motivated, you cannot wait for any feeling to wash over you. All you can do is start.
That, however, is easier said than done. Motivation is a fickle thing. Before you sleep, you might be filled with the desire to improve your life in every single way, but by the time you wake up, that wave of motivation has disappeared into thin air, as if it were never there. Therein lies the problem.
Most people will agree that consistency can bring smoother experiences, transitions, and more predictable expectations. On the other hand, being inconsistent can promote confusion, delays and disappointments.
Consistency helps you stay on track toward your goals, and helps to develop discipline and self control. It can lead to increased progress and promote confidence. Through repetitive, sustained efforts, a habit of consistency can take you to a higher level.
Greek Philosopher Aristotle gave us these timeless words of wisdom,
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
So, what can you do to become more consistent in your daily routine? What kinds of actions might help to develop the skills and incentives to become more consistent?
Here are 5 habits you can develop to help master consistency.
Most people want to be productive. We want to do our jobs well and produce quality work. Regardless of the type of work you do, you probably want it to be worth doing. And you want the end result to be a positive accomplishment.
But sometimes it can be hard to be productive. Things can stand in our way and make it difficult to complete, or sometimes even begin, the projects we had planned to do.
With today’s technology it may seem like we don’t really have to use our memory to remember things. We can just look it up, right? Well, yes and no. Yes, we have a world of information at our fingertips that is easily accessible at any time, day or night. But then there are other things that we want to keep stored in our own memory banks for future or daily use.
When studying school work, learning a new language, taking on a new job or developing a new skill, these things all require memorization. And sometimes it can be a challenge to retain the information you need to know.
Before we had computers to remember everything for us, people memorized all kinds of things. Addresses, phone numbers, poetry, and speeches, just to name a few! Our brain can be trained to hold far more data than we usually ask it to.
The OODA loop model, otherwise known as “the decision cycle” was developed by US Air Force Colonel John Boyd as he sought to help pilots with their decision making process when in air combat.
Although this model won’t turn you into a fighter pilot, the core principles to better decision making are applicable to anyone. Like pilots, people from all backgrounds and cultures will find themselves in pressurised, emotionally dense, serious situations that require precise, meaningful decisions.
It’s been three hours since you turned away from your computer screen. Your head has perked up, your eyes have reset and you’ve snapped back into reality. All of a sudden you notice your legs are hot. Wait, they’re a bit too hot. Your laptop stirs and whirs. The fan is panicking, shouting at you to stop. It, just like you, needed a break. It’s a chance to take a load off. Time to close some tabs.
If you use a computer for an extended period without closing any tabs, chances are it will overheat and potentially break. While we are not computers – not yet, anyway – a similar principle isn’t entirely out of the question. The more you put on your plate, the fuller you’ll feel. The more you over fill yourself, the harder it gets to move quickly and efficiently. Instead of moving through air, you’re moving through custard. Basically, things get more difficult.
Life can be a challenge at times, but standing firm with unbreakable confidence can make a difference in how you handle things. In his well known poem “If”, Rudyard Kipling writes, “…if you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs…”, he is referring to the action of remaining calm and sensible in situations where others are not thinking clearly.
When you have confidence in the decisions you make, and the actions you take, you may find that success and leadership are just two of the benefits you could reap from being a confident person.
